Procrastination tip no. 1

I'll begin with my very favourite:

1. Make a list of the things you need to do, using the time you could have spent doing some of them.

For example, here's my list for today:

1. Clear the enormous pile of crap from my desk so that I feel like an organised, on-top-of-things, academic, in short, the sort of person who might one day finish her PhD.

2. Write an abstract for a conference called 'Memory in a Memory-Less Age'. (Pros of abstract being accepted: 1. good for CV, 2. it's in Cambridge, so I might get to see some people I like who live there. Cons of abstract being accepted: 1. will have to actually write and present said paper, 2. it's in Cambridge, so I might get to see some people I don't like who live there)

3. Write to the editor of the book I have a chapter in, in an attempt to persuade her that she doesn't really want me to make as many changes to the chapter as she thinks she does. (Potentially tricky: keep near bottom of list to avoid doing until it is really too late and I have to make all the changes against both a) my better judgment, and b) my time allowance for this)

4. Pick up parcel from the Post Office. (Move to top of list, as completely unrelated to PhD, and also could be a belated Christmas present of goodness)

5. Connect, and figure out how to use new printer. (Pros: will clear much of desk, thus accomplishing some of task 1, and will be able to print pretty pictures on CDs and DVDs, thus enabling close to maximum procrastination ability, Cons: all a bit technical and therefore possibly as unappealing as doing real work)

There could be more, but option 4 is calling to me right now...